According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov identified the ISIS-K as the primary security threat to Central Asia.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described terrorism as one of the most serious threats to global peace and stability during a regional counterterrorism meeting.
According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov identified the ISIS-K as the primary security threat to Central Asia, saying the group is seeking to use Afghanistan as a base to expand its activities and establish a caliphate.
Quoting Lavrov, the ministry said: “Terrorism remains one the most daunting challenges to international peace and stability. For the Central Asian region, the main threat is undoubtedly posed by the Islamic State offshoot Wilayat Khorasan, which seeks to use Afghanistan as a launching pad for expansion and subsequent establishment of a caliphate.”
Sarwar Niazi, a military affairs analyst, said: “Today, we see that ISIS has not claimed control over any part of Afghanistan’s territory. Therefore, the current government’s fight against terrorism is commendable and should be supported.”
Responding to Lavrov’s remarks, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate said ISIS has been completely suppressed in Afghanistan and no longer has any physical presence in the country.
Speaking to TOLOnews, Zabihullah Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate’s forces maintain full control over all of Afghanistan and that neighboring countries and the wider region should have no concerns in this regard.
Mujahid added: “ISIS members have been completely crushed in Afghanistan and have no physical presence here. The security forces have full control over Afghanistan’s territory.”
Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, said: “We have fulfilled our responsibility at the regional level. There is no armed or subversive group that poses a threat to Afghanistan’s internal security or cross-border security.”
Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate announced that, as part of its campaign against ISIS-K, it had carried out airstrikes last month on the group’s bases in parts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, inflicting casualties and financial losses on the group.
Russia: ISIS-K Seeks to Use Afghanistan to Expand Its Operations
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani security forces raided multiple militant hideouts in the country’s northwest region, killing Pakistani Taliban and seizing a cache of weapons, the military and local officials said.
The military said Friday it used intelligence sources to target militants in operations carried out over the previous day that killed 24 members of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatist groups.
The military said in a statement that the raids came in response to a pair of militant attacks on Wednesday, including a suicide bomber who used a vehicle packed with explosives to ram police officers and civilians. A little-known militant group also targeted a police station and wounded several officers in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces on Friday for what they described as a swift and effective action against those responsible for recent attacks in Bannu.
The two men said in separate statements that eliminating terrorism remained the government’s top priority and vowed to bring perpetrators to justice.
The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, are separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban government, which Pakistan frequently accuses of turning a blind eye to cross-border militant attacks. Afghanistan’s government in Kabul repeatedly rejects the claims, although the TTP and Baloch separatist group BLA frequently claim responsibility for attacks in Pakistan.
Since last year, Pakistan has carried out multiple strikes it says targeted TTP hideouts along the Afghan border.
The Pakistani government in the capital Islamabad also alleges the groups receive support from India to the south, which the Indian government in New Delhi denies. In their statements Friday, the president and prime minister repeated the allegation.
Pakistan’s security forces intend to press ahead with Azm-e-Istehkam, or “Resolve for Stability,” a nationwide counterterrorism campaign approved last year under the National Action Plan to dismantle militant networks across the country, the military said.
Pakistani troops kill 24 militants in raids as violence escalates in region near Afghanistan
A helicopter flies over the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince
How do you tackle corruption in a country grappling with insecurity, weak institutions and widespread impunity? In Haiti, the Government and the United Nations are betting on the country’s youth.
Corruption and related financial criminality come in many forms in the embattled Caribbean island nation, according to the regular quarterly report of the UN Secretary-General. They include:
Money laundering
Financial crimes
Illicit trafficking of weapons and ammunition
Financing of armed groups
Political and business collusion with gangs
Non-transparent public contracting in security, customs, immigration and penitentiary services
Impunity that enables corruption and organized criminal networks
Learning to choose integrity
Recently, 60 students and young civil society leaders – selected from 180 applicants – took part in the first Summer School on Anti-Corruption, organized by Haiti’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) with support from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
During an intensive week of lectures, interactive workshops and practical exercises, participants learned how to identify, prevent and report corruption.
Using real-life scenarios, they confronted ethical dilemmas, deciding whether to report corrupt practices depending on the role they had been assigned. They also practiced filing complaints through the ULCC’s anti-corruption hotline (5656), gaining firsthand experience with official reporting mechanisms.
For Adamson Junior Lavéus, the programme was transformative.
“As a citizen, this activity enabled me to understand the phenomenon of corruption through its various manifestations: extortion, illicit enrichment, misappropriation of public assets, and bribery, among others,” he said in a testimonial collected by UNODC.
Beyond expanding his knowledge, the training reinforced his belief that everyone has a role to play.
“Civic education is essential. It contributes to the empowerment of Haitian society and allows us to build our foundations on moral values.”
The programme’s success has sparked strong interest. This year, a second Summer School is being organized, attracting hundreds of applications within just a few days.
ULCC/UNODCParticipants at the Anti-Corruption Summer School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 2025.
Investing in the next generation
For Adrian Banu, UNODC‘s anti-corruption adviser in Haiti, the Summer School is far more than a training programme. In a country where more than half the population is under 25, it is an investment in the generation that will one day rebuild public institutions.
“This is not work that will yield an impact in a year or two,” he said in an interview with UN News. “It is work whose results might only be seen in 20 years, but it is work that can truly bring about profound societal change.”
The initiative forms part of a broader prevention strategy. With UNODC support, around 50 integrity clubs have already been established in schools across Haiti, where students take part in role-playing exercises, short plays and awareness campaigns highlighting the consequences of corruption and the importance of civic responsibility.
“In doing so, young people are developing a genuine culture of integrity,” Mr. Banu emphasized.
ULCC/UNODCAdrian Banu, UNODC Anti-Corruption Advisor, at the Anti-Corruption Summer School in Port-au-Prince.
Strengthening justice
The strategy also focuses on reinforcing Haiti’s justice system.
In late May, with United Nations support, the authorities inaugurated two specialized judicial units: one dedicated to financial crime and corruption, and another focused on mass crimes, particularly sexual violence. Twenty-five specially trained magistrates have been appointed to investigate and prosecute these complex cases.
“What can change the situation regarding impunity in Haiti is the creation of a system,” Mr. Banu explained. “These judicial units are not a magic bullet, but rather a solution within a broader system.”
According to him, progress is already visible. Thanks to stronger cooperation between institutions, the ULCC has referred 68 investigation reports to judicial authorities over the past four to five years – more than during the previous 17 years combined.
UNODC is also helping strengthen protections for magistrates, witnesses and whistleblowers in an environment where gang violence makes investigations especially dangerous.
The agency is supporting the development of legislation to better protect those who report corruption.
“When I had someone before me who wanted to blow the whistle, the first question was: ‘How can you protect me if I share something sensitive with you?’” recalled Mr. Banu, a former police investigator in Romania.
Protecting magistrates remains another priority. Measures such as improving courthouse security and providing specialized equipment are under consideration, although no safeguard can fully eliminate the risks posed by Haiti’s current security situation.
A long-term commitment
For Mr. Banu, fighting corruption is ultimately a long-term undertaking. The young people being trained today could become tomorrow’s leaders, helping build institutions founded on transparency, accountability and integrity.
Drawing on more than thirteen years of anti-corruption experience, he points to Romania as proof that change is possible.
“Thirty years ago, corruption was far more prevalent there,” he said. While challenges remain, the country’s anti-corruption system has become “functional”.
That experience underpins his optimism for Haiti.
“Progress – I would say it is possible, even in Haiti.”
Haiti: Training the next generation to fight corruption
A U.S. federal judge has struck down four U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policies that delayed or subjected immigration benefit applications filed by nationals of Afghanistan and 38 other countries to heightened scrutiny, ruling that the agency exceeded its legal authority under federal administrative law.
The decision follows a ruling that also rejected the U.S. government’s request to pause the judgment while it pursues an appeal. According to AfghanEvac on 15 July, USCIS has already resumed processing immigration benefit applications that had been placed on hold under the now-vacated policies.
The ruling, issued under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), found that USCIS acted beyond the authority granted by Congress when it implemented policies that paused adjudications, suspended certain asylum decisions, required previously approved cases to undergo additional review, and instructed immigration officers to treat nationality from designated countries as a significant negative factor in discretionary decisions.
The court vacated four agency policies: the Benefits Hold Policy, which prevented final decisions on many immigration applications; the Global Asylum Hold Policy, which paused asylum and withholding-of-removal cases; the Comprehensive Re-Review Policy, which required previously approved applications to be reassessed; and the Country-Specific Factors Policy, which directed officers to weigh an applicant’s nationality negatively in discretionary immigration determinations.
The judge concluded that USCIS failed to provide an adequate legal basis for the policies and did not properly consider the reliance interests of applicants who had already completed interviews, submitted biometric information and passed security screenings. The court found the agency’s actions to be arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act.
On July 15, the court also denied the government’s motion to stay the ruling pending appeal, finding that the administration had not demonstrated a likelihood of success on appeal or shown that allowing the decision to remain in effect would cause irreparable harm.
According to AfghanEvac, USCIS has already implemented the ruling nationwide and is treating the challenged policy guidance as no longer in effect. As a result, immigration benefit applications that had been frozen under the policies have resumed moving through the adjudication process.
The ruling is expected to have its greatest immediate impact on Afghan nationals and other affected applicants already residing in the United States with pending applications for adjustment of status, asylum-related benefits, employment authorization and naturalization.
However, the decision does not invalidate the presidential travel restrictions affecting Afghanistan and other countries. It also does not restart the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, resume Operation Enduring Welcome, reopen overseas visa processing, or affect Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications handled by U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
The court resolved the dispute solely on administrative law grounds and declined to issue a permanent injunction or rule on broader constitutional claims.
The Justice Department has appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. While the challenged USCIS policies remain invalid, the government may still seek emergency relief from the appellate court as the litigation continues.
U.S. Judge Strikes Down Four USCIS Policies Delaying Afghan Immigration Cases
Russia has expressed renewed concern over Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation, citing high infant mortality and the continued spread of polio while accusing Western countries of politicizing humanitarian assistance and maintaining measures that have worsened the country’s economic crisis.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Afghanistan continues to face severe humanitarian challenges, describing infant mortality and the resurgence of polio as among the country’s most pressing public health concerns.
Citing World Health Organization (WHO) data, Zakharova said 21 polio cases had been recorded in border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan during 2025 and 2026. She added that many children under the age of 10 in those regions remain unvaccinated, increasing the risk of further transmission.
Zakharova also said Afghanistan’s infant mortality rate stands at 33.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, describing it as significantly higher than the global average and attributing the situation to the country’s fragile healthcare system and prolonged humanitarian crisis.
Her remarks came after the WHO announced four new cases of wild poliovirus in Afghanistan, reported in Nangarhar, Helmand and Herat provinces. According to the agency, the new infections bring the number of confirmed polio cases in Afghanistan this year to 11, underscoring continued challenges to eradication efforts.
Afghanistan remains one of only two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic. The WHO and other humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that insecurity, population displacement, limited healthcare access, funding shortages and interruptions to vaccination campaigns continue to hamper eradication efforts, particularly in remote and underserved areas.
United Nations agencies have also warned that Afghanistan’s broader humanitarian crisis has been intensified by economic decline, widespread poverty, climate-related shocks and declining international aid. They have further stated that restrictions imposed on women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 have complicated the delivery of humanitarian assistance and reduced access to healthcare and other essential services.
Russia Warns of Worsening Humanitarian Crisis as Polio Cases Rise in Afghanistan
Fitrat said that the Islamic Emirate’s defense minister, visited Badakhshan to meet with border forces stationed in several frontier districts.
The Chief of Army Staff of the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Defense says foreign intelligence agencies targeted Chinese nationals in an effort to undermine confidence in the Islamic Emirate.
Speaking to reporters about attacks on Chinese citizens that occurred on November 26 and 30, 2025 near the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, Fasihuddin Fitrat said the attacks were likely orchestrated by certain foreign intelligence agencies to damage the Islamic Emirate’s reputation.
He said: “There have recently been no security problems for Chinese or other foreign nationals along Afghanistan’s borders. They have not been harmed. Only two incidents occurred on Tajikistan’s soil that killed Chinese workers. The first attack may have involved foreign intelligence agencies, who perhaps wanted to portray the Islamic Emirate negatively to neighboring countries.”
In another part of his remarks, Fitrat said that Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate’s defense minister, visited Badakhshan to meet with border forces stationed in several frontier districts and assess their conditions.
Fitrat added: “The purpose of his trip was to meet the Mujahideen, check on those serving in the remotest part of Afghanistan, the Pamir region, and assess the needs of the security forces.”
His remarks come after five Chinese nationals were killed in two separate attacks near the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border in December last year.
Tajik authorities said the attacks were launched from Afghan territory.
IEA Blames Foreign Intelligence for Attacks on Chinese Nationals
The organization said that civilian casualties alone do not necessarily constitute a violation of the laws of war.
Human Rights Watch, citing reports by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), says that at least 28 civilians were killed and 49 others, including women and children, were injured as a result of Pakistani attacks on the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar.
The organization said that civilian casualties alone do not necessarily constitute a violation of the laws of war. However, the growing number of victims underscores the need for independent and impartial investigations into the possible commission of war crimes by the parties involved in the conflict.
Human Rights Watch stated: “International humanitarian law requires warring parties to take all feasible precautions to minimize civilian harm. Attacking forces must at all times distinguish between civilians and civilian objects on the one hand, and combatants and military objectives on the other, and only target the latter.”
Political analyst Enayatullah Hamam said: “This is a legal case. Officials from the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have filed a complaint before international courts of justice.”
The report also referred to Pakistan’s airstrikes in Kunar and on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul, saying these incidents have further heightened concerns about the protection of civilians during hostilities.
Political analyst Fazlminallah Mumtaz said: “A conflict between two countries exists when both are belligerent states and are deliberately engaged in hostilities over a specific issue. But Pakistan’s actions constitute a clear, ruthless, and criminal act of aggression.”
Military analyst Asadullah Nadim said: “Attacks on civilians, whether during wartime or peacetime, are prohibited and condemned under international law.”
According to UNAMA, at least 750 civilians were martyred or injured in the first three months of the current year as a result of Pakistan’s attacks in Afghanistan.
Human Rights Watch Calls for Probe Into Pakistan Strikes in Afghanistan
New York, 15 July 2026 – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Rabab Fatima of Bangladesh as his new Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
Ms. Fatima succeeds Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his gratitude for her dedicated service. He also thanks Georgette Gagnon of Canada, Deputy Special Representative of UNAMA, who currently serves as Officer-in-Charge of the Mission.
Ms. Fatima brings to the position over 30 years of experience in national and international civil service, encompassing bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policymaking, advocacy, programme planning and implementation. She currently serves as Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).
Prior to this, she was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York (2019-2022). In that capacity, she served as the President of the Executive Boards of UNICEF (2020) and UN-Women (2022), as well as Vice-President of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board (2021). She was the first woman to be elected as the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission in 2022. She also served as a Vice-President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
As a career diplomat, Ms. Fatima served as Ambassador of Bangladesh to Japan (2016-2019), as Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh (2015-2016), and in Bangladesh missions in New York, Geneva, Beijing and Kolkata, and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in different capacities.
Ms. Fatima also served in the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as Regional Adviser for South and South-West Asia and Regional Adviser for Climate Change and Migration (2012-2015), and as Regional Representative for South Asia (2007-2011). She was also the Head of Human Rights at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London (2006-2007).
Ms. Fatima holds a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, United States, and a bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Canberra, Australia. In addition to her native Bangla, she speaks English and has working knowledge of Hindi and Urdu.
Secretary-General appoints Ms. Rabab Fatima of Bangladesh as Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
Pakistani police have detained 13 Afghan doctors and one Afghan medical student in Punjab’s Multan city and transferred them to a deportation center, despite the group saying their visa applications have remained pending for nearly a year.
Pakistani police have detained 13 Afghan doctors and one Afghan medical student in Multan, Punjab province, and transferred them to a deportation center, as the detainees say their visa applications have remained unresolved for nearly a year.
The detainees stated on Tuesday, July 14, that police arrested them from a government hospital in Multan before transferring them to a detention facility in Attock, where they now face possible deportation. They said they had applied for new visas or visa extensions about a year ago but had yet to receive any final decision from Pakistani authorities.
According to the detainees, five of them had applied for entry visas while the remaining doctors sought extensions of their existing visas. They said Pakistani police and security agencies had repeatedly inspected their documents over the past year, yet their immigration cases remained pending without any official resolution.
The doctors expressed concern that they could be deported before completing their medical specialization and training programs. They appealed to both the Pakistani government and the Taliban authorities to intervene and allow them to remain in Pakistan until they finish their studies.
The arrests come as Pakistan continues to intensify its crackdown on undocumented foreign nationals, particularly Afghan citizens, with authorities expanding detention and deportation operations across the country in recent months.
Earlier this week, Punjab police also detained one Afghan doctor and at least 10 Afghan medical students enrolled in universities and teaching hospitals across the province. According to reports, 10 of the detainees were undergoing specialist training at Quaid-e-Azam Medical University and Bahawalpur Teaching Hospital when they were arrested, while another Afghan doctor, Noorullah, was detained at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital.
Although Pakistani authorities have not officially explained the arrests, the detainees said they were taken into custody after their visas expired. The successive arrests have heightened concerns among Afghan medical professionals and students in Pakistan, many of whom say they face uncertainty despite having applied to regularize their immigration status.
13 Afghan Doctors, Medical Student Detained in Pakistan
The students say they are currently pursuing studies in various fields, but due to the non-renewal of their visas, they are at risk of deportation.
As the new phase of the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan begins, a number of Afghan students have told TOLOnews that Pakistani police are also detaining and deporting students.
The students say they are currently pursuing studies in various fields, but due to the non-renewal of their visas, they are at risk of deportation.
They have called on the Islamic Emirate to engage with the relevant Pakistani authorities to prevent the deportation and harassment of Afghan students.
An Afghan student in Pakistan told TOLOnews: “Most of us applied for visa extensions on time, but we have still not received any clear response, and we do not know whether our applications will be approved or rejected.”
Sediq Shariati, head of the Afghan Students Union in Pakistan, said: “Afghan students in Pakistan are facing a very difficult situation. Every day, they are detained from different parts of the country, transferred to detention camps, and then deported to Afghanistan. This situation has had a serious psychological impact on all students.”
Officials at the Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Islamabad and the Afghan Consulate in Pakistan’s Sindh province say they have raised the challenges facing Afghan students with Pakistani authorities and are working to expedite the visa extension process for Afghan students in the country.
Abdul Jabbar Takhari, the Islamic Emirate’s Consul General in Sindh province, said: “Our request to the Pakistani government is to allow students to complete their studies peacefully and to provide the necessary cooperation in extending their visas.”
Yesterday, a number of students also sent a video to TOLOnews, saying they were under police surveillance and were not allowed to move freely or leave their places of residence.
The United Nations says aid workers are still in a “race against time” to remove rubble and rebuild after the devastating earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan last month, killing at least 2,200 people and cutting off remote areas.
The 6.0-magnitude quake on Aug. 31 was shallow, destroying or causing extensive damage to low-rise buildings in the mountainous region. It hit late at night, and homes — mostly made of mud, wood, or rocks — collapsed instantly, becoming death traps.
Satellite data shows that about 40,500 truckloads of debris still needs to be cleared from affected areas in several provinces, the United Nations Development Program said Wednesday. Entire communities have been upended and families are sleeping in the open, it added.
The quake’s epicenter was in remote and rugged Kunar province, challenging rescue and relief efforts by the Taliban government and humanitarian groups. Authorities deployed helicopters or airdropped army commandos to evacuate survivors. Aid workers walked for hours on foot to reach isolated communities.
“This is a race against time,” said Devanand Ramiah, from the UNDP’s Crisis Bureau. “Debris removal and reconstruction operations must start safely and swiftly.”
People’s main demands were the reconstruction of houses and water supplies, according to a spokesman for a Taliban government committee tasked with helping survivors, Zia ur Rahman Speenghar.
People were getting assistance in cash, food, tents, beds, and other necessities, Speenghar said Thursday. Three new roads were under construction in the Dewagal Valley, and roads would be built to areas where there previously were none.
“Various countries and organizations have offered assistance in the construction of houses but that takes time. After the second round of assistance, work will begin on the third round, which is considering what kind of houses can be built here,” the spokesman said.
Afghanistan is facing a “perfect storm” of crises, including natural disasters like the recent earthquake, said Roza Otunbayeva, who leads the U.N. mission to the country.
Afghanistan Peace Campaign
